Regulations proposed by Newtown Associates, owners of the 600-acre Quiet Valley Farm off Poverty Hollow Road, to permit a form of cluster zoning, will go before a Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing on Thursday, April 19, at 8 pm in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall. The regulations would create a new zoning designation in town, called Planned Residential (R-PR). Under the proposal, an applicant could seek the R-PR designation for properties consisting of 100 contiguous acres or more by applying for a zone change.

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As of Monday, April 9, the Legislative Council has set a recommended budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1979 of $13,059,048, which is nearly 6.9 percent higher than the current budget.

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The Board of Selectmen and the Legislativ Council will both consider a possible special appropriation of up to $550,000 to renovate the Ruwet-Sibley building on Main Street for town offices and a new police department, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal said this week. The appropriation is based on an estimated project budget to renovate 8,000 square feet of the 17,500 interior square feet in the two-story building, purchased by the town for $390,000 by action of a town meeting last December.

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The top ranking seniors at Newtown High School for the class of 1979 are Susan E. Svensen, valedictorian, and Peter R. Goebel, salutatorian.

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Tuesday night Park and Recreation Commission Chairman Sutherland Deninger came before the Board of Education to present to the board the proposal for Phase I of the new town park which is to be developed on the former Stefanko property off Philo Curtis Road. Part of the park will abut property owned by Sandy Hook School and there are also plans to build a playing field on the school land. Mr Denlinger sought and received the board’s general approval of the proposed plan, and during his presentation he was backed up by Sandy Hook principal, Ron Vitarelli, who told board members he felt the park would be “terrific” for the school, providing not only playing facilities but possible nature trails and other resources the children could use.

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The League of Women Voters of Newtown will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, April 17, at 7:30 pm in the new multi-purpose center in Sandy Hook. The topic is the Equal Rights Amendment, and the purpose of the meeting is to clarify the issues.

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The Newtown Middle School held its Annual Student-Faculty Basketball game on Wednesday, March 28. The students were triumphant by a score of 54-51. Over 350 students viewed the game. Funds raised from the contest will benefit the Middle School basketball program.

APRIL 16, 1954

It has been announced this week through the offices of Carl A. LeGrow, Superintendent of Schools, and Miss Martha N. Kline, school nurse, that the polio vaccine tests to be undertaken on a nationwide scale this year will get under way in Newtown on the first day of school after Easter vacation.

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Thirty acres of woodland on Still Hill Road and 12 poultry range houses were burned last Saturday morning, April 10, in a fire which was fought by the district forest fire warden and town fire forces for more than two hours. Engaged in fighting the fire were District Fire Warden Vincent Gaffney and his forest fire crew, the United Fire Company of Botsford, the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company, Newtown Fire Department, and Fire Marshal Albert H. Nichols.

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The Newtown Fish and Game Club opened its 1954 season with its annual dinner last Thursday night, April 8, at Armando’s restaurant, Route 6, Stony Hill, Bethel. A record attendance of 170 members and guests helped to make the event an outstanding success. A. Fenn Dickinson, first selectman of Newtown, and Alfred Hunyadi of Chestnut Hill Road, state conservation officer for Fairfield County, were guests of honor.

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Troop 70 and Post 70 are making plans for participation in a district Paul Revere Mystery Hike and Marathon on Saturday, May 1. An aluminum tube containing secret instructions will leave Bridgeport with appropriate ceremonies at 6 am that day, and will be carried along the Pomperaug Trail by the Nichols Troop, each Scout running about half a mile, then passing the tube along to the next Scout.

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Herbert H. Cutler was elected treasurer and Miss Eleanor Mayer elected secretary of the Newtown Republican Town Committee at the April meeting held Friday evening, April 9, at Republican headquarters. The regularly scheduled meeting called by Allen Northey Jones, chairman, was the first to be held since the group was elected by the Republican caucus last month.

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The theatre of the Edmond Town Hall was filled last Thursday evening, April 8, by parents and friends who attended the annual concert presented by the Newtown School Music Department.

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On Tuesday, April 20, at 8 pm in the Republican headquarters over Knapp and Meyers on Main Street, there will be a special meeting of the Young Republican Club. The executive board of the club has called this special meeting for the purpose of adopting a constitution and by-laws to be submitted to the Fairfield County Young Republican League for approval, thus enabling the Newtown club to affiliate itself with the county and state organizations.

APRIL 12, 1929

James Cavanaugh, the popular night operater at the Botsford station, was seriously injured shortly after midnight when he was struck by a westbound freight train. Mr Cavanaugh had passed the orders to an eastbound train and had stepped back just as a train going west, traveling at a high rate of speed and with the lights dimmed, was passing. Mr Cavanaugh leaped to one side, but was hit and thrown to the ground.

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Of general interest to the people of Newtown is that Walter L. Glover, popular radio and machinery dealer in this town, is to open, next week, a showroom and store in the room formerly occupied by Sam Longo.

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The Cedarhurst Estates, Inc, has bought 143 acres with a half mile front on Lake Zoar. The property is being surveyed and is to be developed for summer homes.

The Fish and Game Club of Newtown has just received 800,000 perch eggs, which will be put in the ponds around town. This will be good news for the fishermen.

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Property owners in town should remember that the 1927 taxes ought to be paid before April 30. After that date a lien must be added which will cost $4, and interest at 12 percent.

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A meeting of the inter-town baseball league was held at the firehouse in Redding Tuesday night. George Clark and Hiram Hanlon represented the Sandy Hook teams.

APRIL 15, 1904

Arthur D. Fairchild has an elegant new milk wagon for transporting the milk from his dairy to the Bordon factory. It is from the shop of R. Hatch & Son, New Fairfield.

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Charles G. Stowe was in Paterson, N.Y. last Saturday, where he took a contract for carting logs to a steam saw mill.

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James Madigan, the genial assistant at the Depot, advertised in last week’s Bee two dogs that he had found. On Sunday two “gentlemen” drove up and claimed them but refused to settle for the board. After warmly discussing the question for some time, the men suddenly jumped into their wagon and drove away, expecting the dogs to file. One of them did, but one stayed behind and is held by Mr Madigan as security for the accumulating bill.

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A rich treat for all lovers of good music is promised in the concert that is to be given in the town hall, Wednesday evening, April 27, at 8 o’clock. This concert is given under the auspices of the men of the Congregational Church with two purposes in view: first, to raise money for work which the Society’s Committee has been planning; secondly, to give an entertainment to the people of Newtown, which is of the highest grade. Miss Edith Davies, who gives the concert, is contralto soloist in the Brick Church, Fifth Avenue, N.Y.